1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an enhanced merchandising methodology for use in grocery and other retail applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grocery stores, as well as other retail markets, are constantly trying to make shopping easier. Bar codes, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, are known to be placed on individual retail items and grocery items. Such bar codes enable retail items to be quickly identified by way of a bar code scanner for items being purchased by a consumer, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.
Consumers are also known to use bar code scanners to scan empty grocery containers at home as the products are consumed to create a shopping list. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,614 discloses a method and apparatus for computer-aided shopping system for assisting a consumer with shopping. The '614 patent discloses a system in which a consumer utilizes portable bar code scanner 10 having a removable electronic memory, i.e. smart card 132, to scan bar coded items at home after the item has been consumed. In that system, the consumer thereafter removes the smart card 132 from the scanner 10, proceeds to a retail store, and then interfaces smart card 132 with a dedicated terminal 130 in the retail store, wherein the terminal 130 reads data from smart card 132 and then compiles a printed shopping list 60 for the consumer. The shopping list 60 may include quantity, location, and price and arrange the items to provide the customer with a preferred route through the store when picking items.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,017 discloses a system and a method for household grocery management. The system includes a bar code scanner 22 operable to scan bar codes on grocery items at a consumer's home. Bar codes on food items that are consumed are also scanned. As such, the system disclosed in the '017 patent is able to maintain a current inventory of household groceries and generate a replenishment list when the inventory of various food items on the list drops below a predetermined value. The system is connected to a grocery clearing house for electronically transmitting the replenishment list to a grocery store by way of the clearing house.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,171,378 discloses a portable electronic terminal and data processing system which includes a portable terminal 40 for use with a personal shopping system 10 in both a user's home 12 and shopping establishment 14. The portable terminal 40 includes a bar code reader for reading bar codes associated with various goods. The data associated with the bar codes is stored in a memory 46 in the portable terminal 40. In order to place an order for the items scanned by the bar code reader, the bar code related data may be transferred from the portable terminal 40 to a host computer 16 or downloaded to an in-store kiosk portable terminal-receiving station 26
U.S. Pat. No. 7,213,766 discloses a multi-interface compact personal token apparatus which includes a compact personal token apparatus (e.g., standard USB memory stick device) which may be utilized at a consumer's home to store downloaded coupons, wherein the coupons may be redeemed when plugged into a participating grocery store or retail merchant point-of-sale (POS) device, e.g. cash register, kiosk etc.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0027164 A1 discloses a system which includes a portable computing apparatus for use in a weight management program. The system includes a portable computing apparatus, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA 10), for aiding a user in monitoring the consumption of consumable items and in reordering the items. The PDA 10 includes barcode reader 13 for inputting information identifying various items as they are consumed by the user. The PDA 10 may be utilized to prepare a printed shopping list for the person, to show a list using a display, to display a map of the store showing the location of the items ordered, to display a list of items in an order related to the order that they will be encountered in the store, to check off items as they are purchased, and to suggest product alternatives on demand. Additionally, the PDA 10 may incorporate a removable memory for transferring consumable item data to another personal computer.
US Patent Application Publication No 2002/087415 A1 discloses a method and a system for on-line shopping utilizing a personalized shopping list and an electronic network. The method is for ordering items found in a person's home, wherein a personal scanning device is utilized to scan bar coded items to create a shopping list which may be transmitted to a remote location for processing and delivery of the items found on the list.
US Patent Application Publication No 2004/0128210 A1 discloses a marketing information system for remote computing platforms. The system is for managing a consumer's shopping list and for interfacing that list with a retailer's computing system prior to beginning a shopping trip, wherein hand-held computing devices 34 and 35 may be equipped with a barcode scanner for scanning universal product codes (“UPC”) on products that a user may like to add to their shopping list. The hand-held computing devices 34 and 35 are configured to be interfaced with the retailer's system to allow the items in the consumer's list to be organized according to how the consumer would encounter them in retail store environment 186, e.g., aisle number and/or shelf location. Additionally hand-held computing devices 34 and 35 may incorporate flash memory 68 to store the consumer's inventory.
US Patent Application Publication No 2006/0047577 A1 discloses a system and a method for preparing an electronic shopping list and a path through the store. The system matches a customer's shopping list with the order that items are found in a store to optimize the customer's shopping experience.
The use of bar code scanners by consumers for use with grocery items is well known in the art. For example, a trade publication entitled: “CS1504 Handheld Barcode Scanner”, http://www.symbol.com/products/bar-code-scanner/general/cs1504, discloses a consumer memory scanner which can be used to scan bar codes on items that can be used with an Internet/Intranet store kiosk. Another trade publication entitled: “iGrocer—A Ubiquitous and Pervasive Smart Grocery Shopping System”, by Shekar et al, SAC 2003, Mar. 9-12, 2003, Melbourne, Fla., http://www.icta.ufl.edu/projects/publications/HELAL-igrocer.pdf, discloses a smart phone with a bar code scanner. Another trade publication entitled; “Intelliscanner™ Kitchen Companion”, http://intelliscanner.com/products/kitchen/index.html, discloses a portable bar code scanner for home use for scanning bar codes on retail products at home and creating a shopping list.
Another trade publication entitled; “Symbol Technologies CS 2000 Memory Scanner Endorsed For Use By Leading Web Grocery Companies”, http://www.symbol.com/assets/tools/print.html, discloses a portable bar code scanner for use in creating a grocery list. The systems described above are not in wide spread use because of the lack of incentive for grocers and retailers to implement the system. More specifically, the systems described above are simply used to collect, compile, and compose consumer shopping lists. In order to implement such systems, several elements must be put in place—(i) data collection hardware and software, such as barcode scanning equipment at the consumer's site would need to be provided for each consumer; (ii) web portals or a dedicated in-store terminal at the grocery or retail store for processing, compilation, and printing would need to be established; (iii) a database of available grocery or retail items would need to be stored and accessible by the terminal would need to be built, maintained and continuously updated as grocery or retail items are added or dropped from the store's available merchandise to facilitate the process and, for those systems which provide locations for grocery or retail items on a shopping list, updated every time any grocery or retail items changed locations or were located or relocated to a free standing point of sale display; and (iv) other elements of cost such as customer support.
Unfortunately, such systems require a significant and continuous investment in overhead while providing little or no value or incentive to the grocer or retailer or the food item vendors. As such, the systems disclosed above are not in widespread use. Consequently, consumers must continue to shop in the conventional and cumbersome manner even though technology is obviously available that would greatly facilitate shopping. Thus, there is a need to provide incentive to grocers and retailers to adopt such systems in order facilitate consumer shopping.